Drugs - Channel 5 Belize

Suspected Drug Plane Found Near Frank’s Eddy Village

This morning, a team of law enforcement and military personnel discovered an abandoned single-engine aircraft near Frank’s Eddy Village, parked on the side of a dirt road. It’s believed the plane was used to smuggle narcotics into the country from South America. The interior had been completely gutted, and no drugs were found inside. The Belize Police Department was aware of the illegal landing but couldn’t pinpoint the location until daybreak. Earlier this week, on Open Your Eyes, Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa mentioned that the frequency of drug plane landings has significantly decreased since the start of 2024. He provided an overview of the law enforcement efforts to combat drug trafficking.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs (File: November 11^th, 2024)

“As you know, our government for the last two years has approved a budget of around eight hundred thousand [dollars] basically, that is specifically targeting the narco-trafficking agents in Mexico, specifically the Caborca Cartel which operates in the Quintana Roo area. As you know, they have a lot of cross-border activity taking place along the villages of Douglas, San Victor, I believe San Roman as well. And so, our teams, our specialized units are out there in that area, basically to restrict that kind of cross-border trade. We’re talking human smuggling, human trafficking, the importation of cannabis, the exportation of cocaine, whenever that does come into the country. Thankfully, we haven’t seen, I think there’s only one reported plane landing for the entire year of 2024, but it is to basically address that to ensure that we do not become a cartel country, so to speak. I think that we have had excellent success, I believe just last month we had two cocaine busts in the northern part of the country, in Chunox and Sarteneja. And so, it’s been very effective in terms of limiting that type of cross-border transactions.”

Health Minister Defends GOB’s Drug Act Amendment

Last month, the Government of Belize overhauled the old Food and Drug registration, licensing, and inspection regulations, introducing new laws to better oversee pharmaceutical products. Amid these legislative changes, the Ministry of Health’s Chief Drug Inspector resigned to join the private sector. Tonight, Health Minister Kevin Bernard confirmed that a new health inspector is being considered for the role. He also explained how the drug inspection unit has been working diligently to ensure that essential medicines remain available in Belize.

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness

“You have seen where our drug inspectorate unit our inspectors have been out. If it was not because of them, we would not have been able to pick up on many of these issues that we’ve seen. We have won cases where we have seen contraband medications coming in, where we have seized, and we work very closely with the Customs and Police Department. And that just proves that work has been going on by that unit. We are serious when it comes to ensuring that the pharmaceuticals, the medications that are coming into this country is of standard. And that’s one of the reasons why our people go out and do constant investigations, constant review of facilities across the country, private and public. And we need to ensure that this is safety of our people. To say that this amendment to the drug act that we are proposing is going to allow these pharmaceutical companies to do the same thing or more, that is not we’re trying to strengthen it. We’re trying to bring in more penalties to ensure that we do not see the repeat of these type of things. If you look at the act completely, it speaks of many regulations it’s a draft at this point in time I was able to take it to commit for approval and then it goes through the necessary. Process of farther content. No, remember this entire bill was had several consultations done across the various sectors of the and we need to ensure that we’re following international regulations set out by the WHO and other agencies. And so we have developed this bill to ensure for the safety of our people and for proper regulations to take place.”

Drug Plane Was in Southern Belize for 3 Weeks Before Discovery

Last week, a suspected drug plane was unearthed in the remote Graham Creek area of Toledo. The Belize Defense Force swiftly dispatched soldiers to investigate the scene. Today, Brigadier General Azariel Loria revealed that they believe the aircraft had been there for two to three weeks, conspicuously marked with a Mexican flag.

Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commandant, B.D.F.

“That plane was a Cessna 210. We discovered it by chance. We sent a patrol in that area of Graham Creek because the CSI is a radar from the Americans that did not pick up the signal. And also our radar here did not pick it up. So, it was pure coincidence and a bit of intelligence too as well that we sent that patrol at Graham Creek and that is the result – that’s what we found. And we were responding at a recently cleared air strip in that area. We were going to do a reconnaissance patrol, but we found the illegal airstrip and the Cessna at the same time.”

Hipolito Novelo

“How long was the plane there?”

Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria

“We don’t know, but we believe that by what we found – we found GPS and other equipment. I think that we found a satellite phone. So, we believe that the plane was there for like two or three weeks maximum. We don’t know.”

Hipolito Novelo

“I believe you found some sort of Mexican markings?”

Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria

“Oh, the origin of the plane itself, we do not know, but the plane had markings, and it had a Mexican flag on the nose.”

23 Pounds of Cocaine Seized from Car Dealer

Police made a huge drug bust on Saturday. Twenty-three pounds of cocaine were seized after police in Hattieville village intercepted a Chevy Impala travelling from the Cayo District. The driver, identified as Dominique Young, a car dealer of Vista del Mar, has been arrested for possession of ten parcels of suspected cocaine. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero told us more.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division (544G0946)

“The nineteenth day of October twenty-twenty-four, our police conducted an operation in Hattieville village, where a Chevy Impala vehicle was stopped and searched. Police found ten parcels of suspected cocaine. The car was impounded and the driver taken into custody. He was identified as Dominique Young, a car dealer of Vista del Mar village. He has since been arrested for possession of controlled drugs with intentions to supply twenty-three point-three pounds of suspected cocaine. We got intelligence, and he was intercepted in Hattiville coming from the Cayo District.”

Reporter

“Is the police currently engaged in a special operation?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“There are several operations ongoing; searches have been conducted countrywide.”

Reporter

“Is it an increase in cocaine being found recently?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“Yes, we have seen an increase in cocaine being found.”